TAMIU CDC Launches Recycling Efforts for Earth Day

Texas A&M International University's Child Development Center (CDC)
is doing its part to celebrate Earth Day this month by encouraging students
and members of the CDC to recycle.

Primarily, they are recycling empty printer cartridges and used cell
phones in an effort to keep these items out of landfills, said CDC director
Dr. Miroslava Vargas.

"These efforts will help keep items out of landfills. An additional
plus is that each recycled item helps us to qualify for a program that
will provide our CDC with needed children's recreational equipment,"
Dr. Vargas explained.

"We are working with a group, the Funding Factory, that resells
the items we collect to recycling companies that remanufacture and sell
them again to secondary markets, including retailers and office-supply
stores. Our donations are tracked and we will qualify for future recreational
equipment," she said.

TAMIU's CDC is one of some 24,000 organizations nationwide that are
participating in the effort. Funding Factory research indicates that more
than 300 million cartridges and 30 million cell phones are thrown away
each year, so all efforts to recycle are encouraged.

Vargas said that local business and community supporters can also participate
in the CDC recycling effort and help accelerate its effort to secure needed
recreational equipment.

"We would encourage interested individuals to contact us, or drop
off their cartridges or cell phones at Dr. Billy G. Cowart Hall room 102,"
she noted.

For more information, contact Dr. Vargas or Cynthia Flores at 326.2926
or e-mail cdc@tamiu.edu